🎄🎄Review: 12 Days To Save Christmas ⁣
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“Do you know how brave it is to even stay and try to fix something? Most people just walk away, don’t risk the heartache. ⁣
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Poppy and George have been together for 5 years. That’s why, when George decides to break-up with her, she will go to far lengths to show him she is the one for him. To keep her mind occupied she throws herself into work & new hobbies to initially impress him, but ultimately leads to her carving out her own life. All twisted in with a little new romance brewing throughout the novel. ⁣
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⁣🎁 Poppy (how cute is this name) is both terribly relatable and equally annoying. Her lack of insight drove me CRAZY throughout the novel. I’ve given this part a lot of thought and I think I ended up enjoying her lack of insight. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say my head and insight have been clouded before by “love.” This is more of a break-up recovery, coming in to self-novel than a romance. The buildup of the romance was really good but left unsatisfied (but again more of the above than romance). Also, felt like her “ah-hah” moments came all at the end with little buildup growth.⁣
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Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. I liked the ending a lot. It's nice to read a book that shows that getting the guy isn't necessarily the only or the best way to be happy. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Loved it. The story was great, I felt the characters really were balanced and it was the perfect read on the lead up to Christmas.

What can I say? I just loved this book!

Poppy loves Christmas and Poppy loves George. But George isn't in the spirit this year and she finds out why. He doesn't want to be with her anymore.
To prove that she can live without him and secretly also doing everything to get him back, Poppy stars volunteering at a local community centre and finally finds herself.

This story isn't just a love story. This story is about finding yourself and outgrowing people who were good for you but aren't anymore. Poppy does everything to get George back but at some point finds out that being with him isn't want she wants anymore and that her priorities have changed.

Throughout the book you root for Poppy to finally find her happiness but I also found it heartbreaking at some points.
If you want to read a light Christmas romance, this might not be the book for you but if you are prepared for some serious topics, go for it. It's a great book!

Who doesn’t love a Christmas book at this time of the year to get you in the mood for the festive period

I am poppy. I love Christmas and everything that involves Christmas. I could just picture her with the jumper at the beginning of the novel, as this is something that I would make my boyfriend do.

I liked the way that the chapter titles counted down to Christmas.

This book is the perfect book to get one into the festive mood.
I will Defintely re read this one next year

It’s Christmas, Poppy’s favourite time of year. However, this Christmas is a little bit different. Her boyfriend of five years has decided he no longer wants to be in a relationship with her. But she’s determined to make it work and she has 12 days to remind him of all the reasons why they should be together. During this time Poppy comes to realise that everything isn’t as it seems and maybe what she wanted and what she’s fighting for isn’t what she needs at all.

This is a heartwarming Christmas story.

This was such a heartfelt Christmas story - a perfect setting in London and Cotswolds (complete with a Christmas market, hot cocoa, and caroling), hard but beautiful lessons learned, some romance, and well-developed characters. I loved following along with Poppy as she uncovered her authentic self and finally began to process her past family issues which led to her realizing that the current relationship she was in (and was fighting for) with George wasn’t very healthy. Some female empowerment, some love, and lots of Christmas cheer made for a fun holiday read!

I unfortunately couldn’t bring myself to finish this book, whilst I was excited for the Christmas vibes (which there was) I found the book dragged on way too long & the main character I couldn’t read from anymore.

It definitely did provide the Christmas vibes I was looking for & i did have a few giggles

Poppy and George are perfect together, or at least that's what Poppy thinks until the moment George breaks up with her right before their couples Christmas vacation. With 12 days until Christmas, Poppy is determined to show George that they belong together.

Poppy is a cringey character; she's based her whole life and personality around George and his assessment that she's needy is entirely correct. The reason lies in her family life as a child, but the reader still may be turned off by her devotion to George instead of herself. George isn't a winner either -- he's using their break to date other women but misses Poppy because she takes care of him.

Poppy tries to be busy without George by volunteering at a local community center and joining a choir. The friends she makes there are better for her than George, but Poppy doesn't see their value to her and is ready to ditch them all once George comes crawling back to her.

Recommended for readers of holiday tales that enjoy forced proximity stories.

I really loved this book!
The writing style is excellent and I really felt close to the characters.
If you want a heartwarming christmas story, you should definitely read this book!

This just gave me all the warm Christmasy feels. While Poppy could be frustrating at times, I understood her. Following her journey towards self love was incredible. I also appreciated that this wasn't really a romance but more a journey of self discovery. So many amazing side characters as well!

Poppy and George have been together for five years and Poppy has never been happier. She is planning a Christmas vacation with their group of friends and one month before they are all to leave, George dumps her. They agree to stay in their apartment until the New Year. Poppy makes it her mission to make George realize he wants her back and that she can be who he wants, but she only has twelve days to do so. In her mission to get him back, she may just realize that she's not who she wants to be when she is with him.

This book is much more than a festive rom-com. I really enjoyed Poppy's self-discovery during her mission to get George back. Poppy is so sweet and kind. She's also so obsessed with Christmas. I loved that she discovered the real meaning of Christmas and family, while also becoming her truest self.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I usually like to start all my Christmas reading Dec.1 but the world is crazy, so give me all the feel good holidays books now! I thought this book was cute and the author had me hooked when she put in the Southbank Christmas Market. I want to go there!!! All the baked goods, homemade gifts, ornaments galore!
Poppy is left speechless when the love of her life breaks up with her. Just twelve days before Christmas. They are suppose to be getting engaged soon and spending the holidays celebrating with family…..at least that’s what Poppy thinks. George on the other hand thinks Poppy is amazing, but too dependent on him and a break will do them good. After many tears Poppy pulls herself out of the funk and decides she has 12 days to convince George they are perfect for each other. She’ll start dressing different, volunteering at the shelter, even start working out! Will all these things George back? After Poppy makes so many changes will she want something more? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

If you're looking to get into the Christmas Spirit immediately, look no further! This book has everything you want in a Christmas story; hot cocoa, a Christmas market, romance and a dash of Christmas conflict. That being said, this story skimmed deeper topics like abandonment and alcoholism and shed some light on it while still being a light read, it couldn’t have been written better, truly.

The book starts with Poppy and her predictable relationship with her boyfriend of five years, George that is until George dumps her a few measly weeks before Christmas, claiming she’s lost herself after losing her job. Poppy, devastated and having only twelve days left till Christmas and their big couple holiday getaway, launches a full scale Christmas action plan of how to get the love of her life back. After all, George and his family is the only family she has. By the time she’s done with it he’ll be begging for her to take him back, at least that’s the plan. As Poppy throws herself into helping others and once again becoming the kind of woman George would want she finds herself in the thick of joining a Christmas Choir and helping out the Church Community Center. In the beginning, the man who runs the Church Community Center, Theo sees her as just another girl who stops by once in a while to make herself feel good and leaves everyone there sad after getting attached to yet another person who will ultimately abandon them. While Theo may have hit the nail on the head of what kind of woman came in the doors, Poppy is definitely not the same woman who walked in a few weeks ago. Her heart has grown ten-fold and she cares deeply for the eclectic bunch with their very own struggles that make up the Church. As Theo starts to fall for Poppy and her kind heart, George also notices all the effort Poppy is putting in to get him back and can’t help but be flattered. Will Poppy be just another person who makes the Community Center just a stop on her map or is there something or better yet, someone who keeps her coming back to help out?

A bittersweet yet uplifting story based on a festive holiday read, to enchant readers who are looking at finding themselves, new friendships, love and family. Poppy is extremely thrilled as Christmas arrives but finds Christmas Day depressing for reasons unknown and she’s kept this a secret from her boyfriend George and their friends. George tips Poppy’s life upside down so when Poppy heard a choir sing the Twelve Days of Christmas she hatches a plan to win George’s heart back in twelve days. During the next few weeks Poppy begins to find herself while forming new friendships and relationships with the community church and choir. Poppy is determined that what she’s doing is for George with hope that he’ll notice what she’s doing and how she’s changing. The book at times has laugh out loud moments and moments of complete sadness and times of needing to shout out to Poppy to listen to her new friends and let someone in on who can help her. Great book for fans of a Christmas Rom Com…A great ending but leaves this reader wanting to spend more time with them all..

#TwelveDaystoSaveChristmas #NetGalley
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture via NetGalley for my honest review of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.

Review run date 19 October 2021 for Netgalley, today 7 November 2021 is posted on my WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at:

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What happens when you put all your energy into saving something, but discover that it was the wrong thing to save?

In Elizabeth Neep's "Twelve Days to Save Christmas' Poppy fights to save her relationship with her boyfriend of five years George by reminding him of all the good things in their relationship.

In the process she finds herself, including reconciling her scarred childhood.

At times this book can be excruciating (but in a good way). The opening chapter has an oblivious Poppy desperate to get George to wear a couple's jumper (e.g. a jumper made for two people to wear) and doesn't see the cracks in their relationship.

It's also clear also that Poppy is oblivious to the changes going on in her, while she finds community in the wake of her break up.

While she is motivated to do things, such as volunteer, to show George she's 'the woman he fell in love with', she doesn't realise that she's enough, but also that she deserves more.

To Neep's credit, while we know where the story is going to head, she still manages to write George not as the bad guy either. They were simply two people in a relationship that ran its course, and maybe if they had therapy to deal with their individual issues it would've stood a chance.

Ulimately, the real romance of this book is Poppy's romance with herself and her internal growth to do this. In forcing herself to do new things, and making new friends, she learns to reconcile her past and find her own tribe (as previously her friends were George's friends).

If you like your Christmas stories that doesn't shy away from the tougher things in life, this is well worth a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an eARC of Twelve Days to Save Christmas, despite this my review is fully my own!

I'm a huge Holiday book reader, they're one of my favourite things to read and this book didn't disappoint. Twelve Days to Save Christmas follows main character Poppy as she tries desperately to get her longterm boyfriend back before Christmas after he breaks up with her. In the beginning Poppy really wasn't my favourite character, the idea of her so desperately trying to get back this man who just didn't really seem right for her made me so sad, but as I started to learn more about Poppy, about her past and such it started to make more sense.

Any scene at Church Street was literally my absolutely favourite, the interactions between Poppy and Theo were so genuine and you really got to watch as the two learned to trust each other more and more, it was sweet to be able to see them grow closer, and every interaction with Avery was great! Poppy was making her own little family without even knowing it.

Overall, this novel was a sweet novel of growth and self-reflection set around the holidays. It shows great elements of growing as people and finding yourself when you've become a little too co-dependent, it also is so slow burn and you're so desperate for her to kick George to the side and pick up Theo. FYI there is a sort of third act break up, not really, just a sort of third act... misunderstanding that felt resolved sort of quickly, but it ended up not being as bad as I imagined!

This is a heart warming of someone who finds her independence and a new life after she is dumped by her long term boyfriend just before christmas. The problem was he was her life. He is in a boy band and comes across as selfish. But the excuse he uses is that she is too needy. She felt she was being supportive.

I liked Poppy a lot. She was easy to warm too. She sets out to save her christmas in twelve days. But what she finds is new friends and new things to do. She finds a new her not in anyway related to the person she was.

In some ways it's sad because she got dumped. But then a whole new world opens up. She does it to prove George (oh yeah that's the guys name) wrong. But she gets more.

I love a happy ending. But you're going to have to read it to find out.

Enjoy!

Twelve days to save a relationship but is it worth saving ? A good Christmas read that has been well written and is enjoyable. 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

12 Days to Save Christmas follows the story of Poppy and George, who are a couple who have been together for a few years and Poppy's favourite time of the year is Christmas time. However, this Christmas time is going to send Poppy's head for a spin, as her world starts to fall apart in ways she did not seeing coming from a mile away. George drops the bomb that he wants to end their relationship, so close to Christmas where they've got plans as a couple to see through. However, after meeting some new people, Poppy sees this as a chance to show George what he's missing out on as she tries to win him back with the 12 days they have left in their apartment before Christmas and they part ways forever. Poppy stumbles upon the community centre that is based at the local church. Poppy sees this as an opportunity to show George she isn't needy and can make new friends without George. This is where Poppy starts to question her life and what it's become. What will Poppy do now?

I truly loved this book! I found it so incredibly easy to read and get caught up in within the story. It was such a wild ride following Poppy's story, as she grew as a person and realised what she wanted from her life. Through this story, the reader is able to cheer Poppy on as she realises to grow as a person she has to come and confront her past and tell others her story from her past and how she became the Poppy that everyone from George to everyone at the community centre loves. I loved the themes of finding and becoming true to yourself, finding friends in places you weren't expecting and what the real meaning of family is.

All of the individuals at the community centre were absolutely beautiful characters, no matter how rough around the edges they were. Theo, the 'boss' of the community centre was a soft cinnamon bun with the classic hard exterior. I loved reading any scene with Poppy and Theo, especially as Poppy became more involved within the community centre, as Theo didn't want Poppy to join the community centre, have people at the centre get attached and then Poppy leave out of the blue.

Although I loved majority of this book, I will say that the only things I didn't like was certain characters and how they treated Poppy. Poppy and George's friends who you meet later in the book, I hated the way they treated her when they found out she volunteered and also did a bit of work at the church community centre and how she had joined their choir. I also found the way that George communicates with Poppy later in the book to be terrible and this was also around their terrible friends. But in saying this, I do get the vibe that these friends weren't supposed to be liked and to show how much Poppy had grown and how important the people at the church community centre had become to Poppy and her life.

This book screams a classic hallmark Christmas movie on the big screen, and I truly hope that one day this does happen! This is the first book of Elizabeth Neep's that I've read and I can tell I will be seeking out more of her books in the future, as I just love her writing style and can't wait to meet other characters and follow other story lines of hers.